Hismones 5/23/25

It's hard to believe it's been more than three weeks since my last post, but there hasn't been much additional activity. I had an appointment with an ED specialist last week, tried three different sample injections to determine dosage, and am to pick up my first compounded Rx this evening. In case someone asks, Aetna will spend a lot to save your life but not insure your love life. :) I had my first post-radiation oncology blood work yesterday and have a tele-health appointment with my radiation oncologist next week. I'm definitely hoping that my PSA (measured last fall at 6 and in April at .11) continues to drop and I can convince my oncology team to switch medications (to Nubeqa) at one year rather than continuing Orgovyx for two years. I'm hoping to maintain effectiveness while reducing side effects. BTW, changing to a plant-based diet is quite a challenge. Tammy has been wonderful at trying recipes and helping me attempt the shift. If I can do this and mostly eliminate consuming sugar/simple carbohydrates, I'm much more likely to drop the weight I've gained (15-ish) since diagnosis. Orgovyx is part of the issue; eating while stressed is probably worse. I had some sad news yesterday: our next door neighbor, a few years older and having fought lung cancer for years, got the news that she has dangerous metastasis in both neck (threatening immediate paralysis due to proximity to spinal cord) and skull. She has chosen hospice, and it was a stark reminder of the temporary nature of life to see her DNR bracelet. I shared with her the book, "Being Mortal," written by a physician who helps end-of-life patients. Someone recommended it to her while hospitalized recently, and I had a copy due to a friend's recommendation. It's personal and emotional but helpful in dealing with last things and quality of life. I'll try not to wait too long to post again, hopefully soon after my oncology follow up next week. I'll have my latest "numbers" and hopefully good progress to report. Fatigue is still my intimate companion. All the best!